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The Canon EOS 1200D camera comes with 18-55 mm (attached to the body) and 55-250m lenses

With mobile phone cameras getting smarter every day, it's inevitable for camera manufacturers to innovate with their entry-level DSLR cameras. Not only will such a handy instrument attract novices looking beyond smartphones but it will be valuable for those who are in search of their first DSLR.

The Canon EOS 1200D camera comes with 18-55 mm (attached to the body) and 55-250m lenses

A point to be noted is that potential buyers would be keen to add special effects such as the value-adds available on their smartphones. The Canon ESOS 1200D takes a cue from this and offers what could ideally become a smart choice for beginners.

What we like
Priced at Rs 39,995 for the body as well as two lenses - 18-55 mm and 55-250 mm with auto focus (for 35 mm focal length with 1.6) - the camera is a steal, especially for budgeted buyers. The 18 MP APS-C sensor works reasonably well, offers good quality colour reproduction. As for image processing, it relies on the decent Canon's popular DIGIC 4 image processor.

The ISO range is also impressive between ISO 100 to 6,4,00 and is expandable to 12,800 (labelled as H), making it a handy camera for low conditions. The EOS 1200D has a nine-point auto focus with cross-type auto focus at the centre. The available shutter speed of 1/4000 to 30 seconds is good and can shoot three frames per second in the multi-frame mode.

The controls are well placed though may take some time. Interestingly, Canon has launched an app to help users understand the camera functions and explore its features. The camera comes has a three-inch LCD screen.

The camera can also record video at both Full HD1920x1080 (23.98fps to 29.97 fps) and HD 1280x720 (50fps to 59.94fps) at more or less the same image settings as in still camera. The battery on full charge gives approximately 500 clicks.

What we didn't like
No WiFi or NFC connectivity, something the smartphone users would miss a lot. The display is not touch sensitive, which again could be a deterrent. Most of the intuitive camera features are supported within a very small f4 to f5.6 range aperture range. The image quality could have been better, and the camera a bit less noisy at higher ISO
settings. The expandable 12,800 ISO is not available in preset modes.

Overall verdict
Though the idea of having two lenses is great (and at this price, a steal), we advise buyers to first think about their needs. If you plan to shoot more during low light conditions (think of sun sets, or evening shots) the limited aperture of f4 to 5.6 for both the lenses could limit their usage.

Available At: All electronic retail stores.